Wind Songs: Sunshine And More Sunshine

I stood out on the porch the other night, looked up into the dark sky and was stunned by what I saw.

There were millions of stars in the sky.

I have looked up at the Alaskan sky many many times since I arrived here, many times at night after a wonderful, sunny and clear day.

But I have never seen the sky so filled and shining with stars. I did not know that the sky in Juneau at the end of the summer could look like this.

I have done the same thing every night since this unexpected and very unusually clear weather hit Juneau sometime last week.

And every night the sky has been silent, still, dark and filled with the stars that I had not seen in what seemed liked years, but has actually only been months.

Another unexpected and quiet gift.

Much as this weather has been for a while now.

Juneauites don't know what to make of this weather.

The norm in Juneau in September is cool, rainy and as somebody accurately told LC a while back, everything this time of year typically becomes one big "mud slushy".

We broke temperature records both yesterday and today - both days in the low 70's when low 50's are more typical.

I don't know what to make of the weather either.

But I don't question such things.........I just take them one day at a time and relish in the knowledge that this wonderful and very unseasonal weather is now slated to last for at least the next week............

The picture above was taken in the parking lot of Fred Meyers grocery store, right off Glacier Highway between the Valley and downtown.

It is locally just referred to as Freddies.

I have seen this wonderful and biggest of "big happy Alaskan dogs" before at this place.

He is friendly, curious, huge, absolutely beautiful.

I have no idea what kind of dog this beast is, but he most definately gets the attention of passers-by in the lot.

Such a beautiful animal...........

Last Sunday, in the early stages of our string of sunshine-days LC, James and I went out to Auke Village Recreation Area.

We started at a picnic shelter and LC fished for just a brief time before quickly losing interest.

We both needed to keep moving, realizing that we both had much too much nervous energy to just sit and stay in one place.

We decided to just walk the beach out to the point - the same one I have written about in previous blog posts that I happened upon unexpectedly in the rain and wind and cold of my first few days in Juneau..........

With the ongoing stress that I have been feeling for a while now, I have come to realize that for the first time since I arrived in Alaska I do not feel connected to my surroundings.

Disconnected from the water. The pine trees. The eagles and sea lions. Yes, disconnected even from the mountains.

Disconnection is a coping mechanism learned long ago and another lifetime ago.

I have felt this way continuously for weeks now, and it is unsettling to feel disconnected from the nature of Juneau, when that has been one of the most solid foundations of my love for this place.

I am consciously trying to reconnect because it is important to me that I do.

And so I seek quiet and beautiful places such as this, and work hard to slow myself, and my brain and my heart down enough to see and feel again.

I love this place...........

We walked the beach, sat on rocks for a while watching the fishing boats speeding out of the cove, walked some more, sat and watched the ferry, and then another ferry, and then walked the beach again adding more shells to my ever growing collection.........

I walked alone for a while, feeling a compulsion as I often do, to see what was around the bend, on the other side of that large barnacle encrusted rock, behind the log...........

My Mountain Boy waiting for me to come back from my curious explorations, so we could continue walking together out to the point............

So beautiful it could make you cry...........

I really love taking pictures of both LC and Jamie with the mountains in the background........

There are times when I think about people in Juneau that I have come across in my travels. People who I do not know but have only seen. I wonder about them. Wonder what their stories are.........

There is a woman in her 40's who walks along the shoulder of Glacier Highway Out the Road.

I see her everyday.

She always wears the same clothes. She walks for many miles. She never smiles. Her upper body leans slightly to one side when she walks like she has some type of physical issue that precludes her from standing erect.

Does she walk to stay healthy or just because she likes to walk? How far does she walk? Why does she always wear the same clothes?

There is a man who looks to be in his late 50's in downtown Juneau.

He wears military fatigues, a beret, sunglasses, a pin that says he is an Alaska Native Vietnam Vet.

He carries a two-way radio.

I have seen him in coffee shops, at the Salvation Army store, walking and riding a bicycle on roads in town.

Is he homeless? Is he troubled?

The man who sits in restaurants and in coffee shops and draws other customers in these places.

He has the appearance of a retired college professor.

I do not know if that is what he was, or is, but he contentedly spends his time drawing people.

His subjects do not know that they are the subjects of his art work at the time.

They do not know until he is finished his work.

When he is done he takes his just-completed sketch, leaves it wordlessly on the table of the subject as a silent gift, and then wordlessly walks out of the restaurant.

I have seen this man's work and he is very talented.

What's his story?

An Alaska Marine Highway Ferry heading towards Auke Bay.

These ferries are beautiful and majestic on the water in this most beautiful of states.

My most favorite of ways to travel.........

After wandering and finally arriving at the point, we sat for a long time on these rocks.

There were many boats, the Chilkats were beautiful, and the water was ridiculously blue..........

And then we moved over to the opposite side of the point so we could continue to follow the ferry as it got much closer to its terminal.

My Mountain Boy and my dog leading the way...........

A great picture of my Mountain Boy........

The ferry finally reappearing after disappearing on the back side of the islands for a long time..........

For a dog who spent most of her time in our fenced-in back yard in Tennessee, our life in Alaska has now opened up an entire new world for Jamie.

Whenever we put on our shoes and our jackets, she whines and barks and jumps around in the kitchen, desperately wanting to go wherever it is that we're going.

There have been rare times when she cannot go where we are going, and we have literally had to time our exits out the door and quickly slam the door behind us, so she does not sneak out the door behind us. She's quick. And we have to be quicker.

And many times she guilts us into taking her with us anyway. It is very hard to resist a wagging tail and disappointed puppy eyes.......